Virgin Media 500GB TiVo box to become de facto standard

EXCLUSIVE: Will take over from V+ HD service in time

With the addition of a 500GB version of its TiVo box, Virgin Media fully expects it to become the provider's standard TV service sometime in the future.

Speaking exclusively to Pocket-lint, a Virgin Media spokesperson told us, "In time, we anticipate our TiVo platform to become our next generation standard?TV service. But with millions of TV customers already, we will be providing both options to ensure we can cater for all needs."

The statement came as Virgin Media announced that it is to add a 500GB version of its Virgin Media TV powered by TiVo box, to go alongside the 1TB offering. The new box will be ?100 cheaper than the existing version, costing ?49.95 to existing customers, and it will also be available to those who subscribe to the "L" and "M+" TV packs - the 1TB box is for "XL" subscribers only.

Apart from the hard drive, which is capable of recording up to 250 hours of (standard-def) video, everything else is identical on the slimmed-down version, including three TV tuners allowing the viewer to watch and record one channel, while recording two others at the same time.

While it is cheaper, though, Virgin Media expects there to still be a healthy market for its 1TB box:?"There is nothing else like the Virgin Media TV TiVo service and we believe it’s a significant step in changing the way in which people watch and discover content and, with any revolutionary development?such as this, there?will always be TV fans?who'll?want to have the very best service first with the?top-spec 1TB box," the spokesperson told us. "However, we want to ensure that we are catering for all of our customers which is why we’re making the 500GB box available to our ‘M+’ and ‘L’ TV customers to provide them with even more choice and an unbeatable value service."

The company will also start to offer TiVo to new customers later this year.

Tags: Virgin Media Home Cinema Virgin Media TiVo box Virgin Media TV powered by TiVo

Virgin Media 500GB TiVo box to become de facto standard originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:38:00 +0100

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